There was a definite air of excitement in the classrooms of Gan Chamesh, Chabad’s Early Childhood Center, as the preschool began “Box Week.” Inspired by the upcoming holiday of Tu B’Shevat and the idea of taking care of Hashem’s beautiful world by recycling, Gan Chamesh instituted Box Week as a means of letting the children’s imaginations soar as they play and experiment with all different kinds of boxes. The children collected boxes of all shapes and sizes and proudly brought their collections to school. The regular classroom toys were set aside and the boxes took center stage. The children used the boxes to create massive towers, railroad stations, rocket ships, and houses. Empty food boxes and canisters lined the shelves of the dramatic play and kitchen areas as well.
The box experience appealed to the children’s sense of engineering and architecture, as they judged which boxes work best as a foundation for their structures. Box Week provided a medium for problem-solving and cooperation as the children devised their masterpieces together and participated in animated discussions about which boxes should be used to achieve a specific purpose. In light of the success of Box Week, many of the classrooms at Gan Chamesh will be extending the experience well into the next several weeks.
Box Week was just one of the many hands-on, exciting activities that the children experienced to help them internalize the beauty of Tu B’Shevat.
For more information about Gan Chamesh, Chabad’s Early Childhood Center, please contact Susy Adler or Suzanne Wallin, the program directors, at 516-295-2479.
